Ex-presidente do Palmeiras ironiza John Textor por acusações de arbitragem: '1º de abril!'

MatériaMais Notícias

O atual dono da SAF do Botafogo, Jhon Textor, reiterou nesta segunda-feira (1) em entrevista, que tem provas de que o Palmeiras teve resultados manipulados pela arbitragem nos últimos dois anos. Você pode conferir o que Textor falou ao ‘Canal do Medeiros’ clicando aqui.

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O ex-presidente do Palmeiras, Paulo Nobre, que ficou na presidência do clube entre 2013 e 2016, se revoltou nas redes sociais e rebateu o dirigente americano.

– Foi ironia essa matéria ter sido publicada justamente no dia 1º de abril ou será que lá no ‘campeonato estadual mais forte do Brasil’ algum dirigente vai contratar estudo para comprovar com 99% de certeza que elefante não sobe em árvore? Ou será que o fato de não ter ficado entre os quatro melhores do seu estado pelo segundo ano consecutivo fala por si? – disse Nobre após postar o print da matéria do GE em sua rede social.

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Em março, o Superior Tribunal de Justiça Desportiva deu um prazo de três dias para Jhon Textor apresentar as provas sobre corrupção na arbitragem brasileira que ele afirma ter.

➡️ Com apenas R$50, você pode levar mais de R$240 no Lance! Betting se o Grêmio vencer o The Strongest

Também no mês passado, o Palmeiras comunicou em nota que iria processar o dono da SAF do Botafogo, nas esferas cível, criminal e esportiva.

Textor começou sua “batalha” contra o Palmeiras quando o Botafogo foi derrotado por 4 a 3, de virada, ainda pela última edição do Brasileirão. Ele definiu a partida como “roubo”, fez acusação de corrupção e pediu renúncia do presidente da Confederação Brasileira de Futebol (CBF), Ednaldo Rodrigues. As falas culminaram em sua suspenção por 30 dias.

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Angels Not Bringing Back Managers Ron Washington or Ray Montgomery for 2026 Season

Ron Washington and Ray Montgomery will both not return as the Angels manager for the 2026 season, 's Sam Blum reported on Tuesday.

Washington stepped away from the team back in June because of health reasons. It was later revealed that he underwent quadruple bypass surgery to remove blockages from his heart valves, via MLB's Rhett Bollinger. He led the Angels starting in 2024. Montgomery took over as interim manager for the rest of the season. Los Angeles missed the MLB playoffs with a 72-90 record.

At 73 years old, it's very possible Washington's career as an MLB manager could be over, especially depending on his health issues. He is most known for his stint with the Rangers from 2007-14, during which he won two pennants. But, there isn't an official word on Washington's future in the league.

Washington did recently express his desire to return to the Angels manager role in 2026, via Blum. Since that isn't a possibility now, maybe another MLB team will pick him up.

Washington's two-year contract with the Angels ended after this season with a club option for the 2026 season. The Angels will not pick up his club option. Montgomery, who was serving as the team's bench coach since 2021, will be let go from the organization. He put up a 26-34 record as interim manager.

Five Most Important Series of the 2025 MLB Season’s Final Weekend

The final weekend of the 2025 MLB season is upon us, and there is still a lot to play for. Eight teams have secured playoff spots, while eight remain alive fighting for the final two spots.

In addition to the teams desperately trying to punch their tickets to the postseason, two American League division races remain undecided. With all that in mind we’ve ranked the top five series of the season’s final weekend.

1. Detroit Tigers at Boston Red Sox

The Red Sox will host the Tigers in the final weekend’s most important series. The two teams currently hold the AL’s final wild card spots, and Detroit is still in contention for the AL Central. The Tigers’ collapse has been stunning. They led the division by 14 games on July 8, and were ahead of the Guardians by 15 1/2. They also led Cleveland by 10 1/2 games on September 1 and 9 1/2 on September 10. Now they’re tied atop the division. Detroit also leads the Astros by just one game for the AL’s final wild card spot, so there’s a chance they miss the postseason completely.

While the Yankees and Blue Jays are tied atop the AL East, Boston is sitting in a solid position, with a magic number of one. The Red Sox appear locked into the second wild-card spot, which means they’ll be traveling to face New York, Toronto, Cleveland or Detroit in the opening round. It will be Boston’s first postseason berth since 2021.

2. New York Mets at Miami Marlins

The Mets have been a mess for two months, but still have the final playoff spot in the NL cornered. While Juan Soto, Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso have done their best to lift the Mets to the playoffs, the team’s pitching staff has utterly disintegrated. They’ll need to perform this weekend to clinch a spot.

New York will travel to Miami to face a plucky Marlins team that wasn’t eliminated until Thursday afternoon. The Fish look like a squad that could be a dangerous next season, led by Kyle Stowers and rookie Jakob Marsee. They’ll do their best to play spoilers this weekend.

The Mariners have a chance to clinch the top seed in the American League as Cal Raleigh chases the single-season AL home run record. / Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images
3. Los Angeles Dodgers at Seatte Mariners

Led by Cal Raleigh's incredible season, the Mariners have clinched their first AL West title since 2001. Now they’ve turned their attention to earning the American League’s top seed. Seattle sits one game behind the Blue Jays and Yankees for the No. 1 spot in the AL heading into the weekend.

Meanwhile, the Dodgers have clinched the NL West and are locked into the No. 3 seed. They don’t have much to play for besides lining everything up for the opening round, where they will host a wild-card series. Still, given how awful their bullpen has been over the past few months, getting some guys work and trying to get them in rhythm for the postseason could be vitally important.

4. Arizona Diamondbacks at San Diego Padres

The Diamondbacks are still battling for a playoff spot heading into the final series of the year, which is something once thought to be highly improbable when they sold heavily at the trade deadline. Arizona is only one game behind the Mets for the final wild card spot and continues to battle elbows out with New York and Cincinnati to get into the big dance.

Meanwhile, the Padres still have an outside shot at hosting a wild-card series in the opening round. San Diego trails the Cubs by two games and holds the tiebreaker over Chicago. If the Friars win out and the Cubs falter, Petco Park would get first-round home games. It would be a huge advantage for San Diego, which is 49–29 at home this season. If the Padres can't do it, they’ll head to Wrigley to open the postseason. Either way, the Padres and Cubs will face each other in the postseason for the first time since 1984.

5. St. Louis Cardinals at Chicago Cubs

As mentioned above, the Cubs are in the postseason, but are fighting the Padres to see who will host their rematch of the 1984 NLCS. Chicago has stumbled down the stretch and now sits two games above the Friars for the top wild-card spot. This weekend, the Cubs will face their archrival, who would love to spoil the party.

St. Louis is stumbling to the finish line of a disappointing season. The Cardinals were 51–46 at the All-Star break and in the thick of the wild card race. They'll enter the weekend 78–81 with a -48 run differential. While the Red Birds don't have postseason aspirations at this point, they can make things very uncomfortable for their friends in Chicago.

Solanke upgrade: Spurs ready to pay £22m to sign "monster" CF

Tottenham Hotspur were held to a 0-0 draw by Monaco in the Champions League last time out, but it was the hosts who had the better chances to win the match.

The French side created five ‘big chances’ in the game, compared to Tottenham’s one, and Guglielmo Vicario prevented a whopping 2.68 xG with eight saves.

Whilst Thomas Frank will be concerned that his goalkeeper needed to make so many saves, the Spurs head coach should be concerned about the lack of potency in the final third.

Tottenham have struggled at the top end of the pitch under the former Brentford boss in the Premier League so far this season, as shown in the table below.

25/26 Premier League

Rank

Big chances created

Big chances missed

1

Crystal Palace – 33

Crystal Palace – 22

2

Man City – 27

Man City – 17

3

Liverpool – 24

Liverpool – 17

4

Chelsea – 23

Leeds – 14

5

Arsenal – 22

Man Utd – 14

6

Man Utd – 22

Arsenal – 13

7

Brighton – 18

Newcastle – 11

8

Leeds – 17

Nottingham Forest – 11

9

Newcastle – 15

Chelsea – 10

10

Everton – 15

Everton – 10

Stats via Sofascore

Spurs do not rank within the top ten Premier League sides for ‘big chances’ created or missed, as they sit 15th in the division for ‘big chances’ created with 13, per Sofascore.

On top of struggling to create chances on a consistent basis, it also remains to be seen whether or not the Lilywhites have a striker who can provide consistent quality in front of goal.

Ranking Tottenham Hotspur's striker options

Mathys Tel, Richarlison, and Dominic Solanke are the main centre-forward options at Frank’s disposal this season, although Solanke is currently making his way back from an ankle injury.

Despite scoring a goal against Leeds United last month, Tel may rank at the bottom of the manager’s options in the number nine position, because he is still a young and inexperienced player.

The France U21 international has scored four goals in 28 appearances in all competitions for the club, per Sofascore, which shows that he still has development to go through before he can offer a consistent threat.

Richarlison is currently the first-choice number nine, in Solanke’s absence, and he has scored eight goals in 37 matches since the start of last season, per Sofascore, including three goals in eight Premier League outings this term.

24/25 Premier League

Dominic Solanke

Appearances

27

Starts

25

xG

10.97

Goals

9

Big chances missed

12

Minutes per goal

245

xA

1.15

Assists

3

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Solanke scored more goals in the Premier League alone last season than Richarlison has managed in all competitions since the start of the 2024/25 campaign.

This suggests that the England international is the best striker in the current Spurs squad, but the club are reportedly keen on a player who is even better than him.

Spurs ready to pay up for Serie A striker

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, as relayed by TuttoJuve, Tottenham Hotspur are one of a number of clubs interested in a deal to sign Juventus centre-forward Dusan Vlahovic.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

The report claims that Fabio Paratici is eyeing up a potential swoop for the Serbia international, but will face competition from Premier League rivals Chelsea and Manchester United.

It adds that all three clubs are willing to pay the fee that Juventus are looking for, which is up to £22m, as they look to move on from Vlahovic in the upcoming January transfer window.

The experienced striker’s contract in Turin is set to expire at the end of the 2025/26 campaign, which is why the Old Lady are keen to move on from him in January to avoid losing the forward for nothing in the summer.

Why Spurs should sign Dusan Vlahovic

Paratici should push to secure a deal for Vlahovic ahead of both Chelsea and Manchester United because he could arrive in North London as an instant upgrade on Solanke.

The Serbian number nine’s form last season and throughout his career at the top level suggests that he would offer a far more clinical and lethal presence at the top end of the pitch for Spurs.

Vlahovic scored 17 goals in all competitions during the 2024/25 campaign, including the summer Club World Cup, and hit double figures for goals in the Serie A, per Sofascore.

24/25 season

Vlahovic (Serie A)

Solanke (Premier League)

Starts

21

25

Goals

10

9

Minutes per goal

180

245

Shots on target per game

1.0

1.0

Assists

4

3

Aerial duels won per game

1.3

1.7

Aerial duel success rate

48%

43%

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Vlahovic was far more prolific than Solanke at league level, as shown by their respective minutes per goal ratios, whilst he also won a higher percentage of his aerial duels and provided more assists.

These statistics suggest that the Juventus striker, who was described as an “absolute monster” by reporter Carlo Garganese, would provide more quality than the Englishman in the final third.

That is further backed up by their respective career finishing statistics. Per UnderStat, Solanke has scored 38 goals from 52.23 xG in his top-flight career, whilst Vlahovic has 89 goals from 90.73 xG in his time in the Serie A with Fiorentina and Juventus.

This suggests that Vlahovic would provide a level of clinical finishing and goalscoring prowess that Frank does not currently have at his disposal in North London this season.

Therefore, Paratici needs to do all he can to convince the Serbian marksman to turn down potential moves to Manchester United and Chelsea to join the Lilywhites in the upcoming January transfer window, as he would improve the current first-team squad.

Watch out Gray & Bergvall: Spurs gem with "Modric vibe" is thriving on loan

Tottenham Hotspur could have another world-class gem on their hands in the near future.

By
Ethan Lamb

Oct 24, 2025

West Ham star who lost the ball 23 times has regressed hugely under Nuno

Despite the occasion being Nuno Espirito Santo’s first game in charge of West Ham United at the London Stadium, the Monday night affair between the Hammers and Brentford had a subdued feeling from the get-go.

Planned protests against Hammers chairman David Sullivan and vice-chairman Karen Brady meant sections of West Ham’s ground were sparsely filled throughout, with the feeling around their home stadium only worsening by the full-time whistle, as a 2-0 defeat kept the East Londoners deep in the Premier League relegation mix.

Nuno is clearly still getting used to all the new players at his disposal, as some surprising alterations were on show for the clash with the Bees. Most notably, Malick Diouf sat on the bench alongside the likes of Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Guido Rodriguez.

Unfortunately, none of those changes worked, with Mathias Jensen’s late strike condemning Nuno’s side to a miserable sixth league defeat of the season already, which also leaves the ex-Nottingham Forest boss still searching for a first win in the Hammers dug-out.

West Ham's biggest underperformers vs Brentford

Truthfully, although it took until the 94th minute for Jensen to seal the win for Keith Andrew’s visitors, Brentford should have had the game tied up long before this last-gasp stunner.

Indeed, the Bees would tally up a mammoth 15 shots just in the first half, as the ropey centre-back duo of Max Kilman and Jean-Clair Todibo were continually caught out by the physical approach of Igor Thiago, with a long ball over the top late into the first half catching Kilman out, before Thiago eventually bundled home the opener.

19-year-old Oliver Scales also noticeably struggled on a surprise start, with just one of his aerial duels being won before being hauled off on the 46th minute mark.

Another intriguing selection decision by Nuno in handing Andy Irving a first Premier League start of the season also fell flat, as the Scotsman gave up possession ten times as an unassured body in central midfield.

Even Jarrod Bowen was quiet to further add to the misery on display, with the usually dependable Hammers captain only managing to tally up a lacklustre xG of 0.08 come the full-time whistle, firing a few chances off target.

He wasn’t the only first team regular who decided to put in a no-show against Brentford, however.

West Ham star has regressed under Nuno

While Graham Potter was deservedly sacked after collecting a dire four defeats from five Premier League games at the start of the season, at least Lucas Paqueta stood out as a bright spark during those tough times.

The Brazilian certainly lived up to his previous “explosive” billing – as he was once labelled by Sky Sports’ Jamie Redknapp – when collecting two goals across this choppy patch of matches, with a kiss of the badge after confidently tucking a penalty away at Forest cementing his reputation as a fan favourite.

However, he hasn’t looked quite so razor-sharp in front of goal since Nuno entered the building, with only a meagre four efforts attempted by the enigmatic Brazilian across his new manager’s first three league games at the helm. That must be particularly worrying considering that he operated as a false 9 in the absence of the injured Niclas Fullkrug on Monday.

In particular, Paqueta’s ongoing regression under his new manager was clear for all to see against Andrew’s away side, as the hot-and-cold number ten failed to be a feared forward presence in the same manner the hard-to-contain Thiago managed to be for the Bees.

Minutes played

90

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Touches

61

Shots

1

Accurate passes

26/42 (63%)

Key passes

0

Accurate crosses

0/2

Possession lost

23x

Successful dribbles

0/1

Total duels won

7/20

Instead, Paqueta was often seen giving up the ball time after time, with possession squandered a costly 23 times. Having amassed three key passes against Arsenal in their last away outing, this was a notable drop-off.

Only winning 35% of his duels, too, on top of only testing the Bees goalkeeper with one shot, Nuno might well be prepared to boldly drop the 28-year-old in games to come, as the already under pressure Hammers boss tries to get a tune out of his demoralised side no matter what.

Branded as a “shocking” mess of a situation post-match by Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher, Nuno will have his work cut out for him to get the sinking ship back on course, with the 51-year-old desperately needing Paqueta to get back to his best, and sharp.

Nuno suggests West Ham could be about to rely on "very aggressive" young star

The Hammers boss clearly loves what he can offer.

BySean Markus Clifford Oct 19, 2025

Arsenal convinced £71m Bundesliga star could rival Noni Madueke with contact made

Arsenal are keen to strengthen their bid for the Premier League title and could now move for one of Europe’s best wingers after contacting his agent.

The Gunners have made an excellent start to the campaign and look to be on course for another successful campaign under Mikel Arteta, albeit they will likely be judged on whether they manage to deliver a first top-flight crown since 2004.

Admittedly, having to stew for two weeks after a frustrating draw with Sunderland where Brian Brobbey brought the hosts level late on is a tough pill to swallow. However, success is defined by your ability to bounce back, and Arsenal look to have a renewed sense of character in comparison to previous years.

Waiting on players to come back from injury to help with their heavy fixture schedule is something Arteta will be banking on, and the Spaniard has indicated Gabriel Jesus has his part to play as the Gunners look to move closer to the title.

He said before his side drew in the North East: “A player who is very unpredictable, full of energy, and super competitive. A player who comes from a context of difficulty in the last few seasons, due to various nasty injuries, so the level of hunger and desire that he is going to bring to the team is going to be amazing.

“So I’m thrilled to have him, I think he’s going to add something extra to the team that we don’t have, and make sure that very soon we see him on that pitch making an impact for the team.”

Even then, it may be some time before the Brazilian is fully fit, so it will come as no surprise to hear that Arsenal are now keen to strengthen their forward line once the January window opens, and talkSPORT revealed this week that the north Londoners want to sign a youthful forward.

Arsenal make contact with Borussia Dortmund attacker Karim Adeyemi's agent

According to TEAMtalk, Arsenal have initiated contact with super-agent Jorge Mendes over Borussia Dortmund’s Karim Adeyemi as they look to bolster competition out on the right flank, with Bukayo Saka and Noni Madueke currently competing for a first-team slot.

The Bundesliga giants will insist on recouping a figure of £62 million in January. Meanwhile, the Germany international has a £71 million release clause and is also attracting interest from Manchester United. What’s more, and perhaps more interestingly, Arteta personally views him as the ideal upgrade to Brentford loanee Reiss Nelson, and Arsenal are convinced that Adeyemi can rival summer signing Noni Madueke.

Andrea Berta is further boosted by the report’s claim that Adeyemi is more keen on a move to London than Manchester, so a deal could be there to be done.

Karim Adeyemi’s Bundesliga statistics — 2025/26 (Fotmob)

Shots

16

Shots on target

5

Completed dribbles

13

Chances created

8

Touches in opposition box

38

Known for his explosive speed, Adeyemi has registered three goals and three assists in 14 matches this season, and he is now at risk of opting not to sign an extension at Dortmund, with his current contract set to expire in 2027.

Arsenal have entered a bidding war for one of the Premier League's best midfielders

London is his preferred destination, potentially offering a crucial boost to Arteta, and it remains to be seen if he eventually puts pen to paper at the Emirates Stadium.

Tottenham now preparing £40m+ offer to sign "superb" new Forlan

In search of a consistent goalscorer, Tottenham Hotspur are now reportedly preparing a £40m+ offer to sign Georges Mikautadze from Villarreal in 2026.

The great weakness in Thomas Frank’s side this season has been their goalscoring struggles. With Dominic Solanke yet to return to full fitness, the likes of Richarlison and Randal Kolo Muani have struggled to truly take hold of the starting role – handing the Lilywhites a frustrating problem.

Kolo Muani has particularly struggled since arriving from Paris Saint-Germain and is still searching for his first Tottenham goal. With the North London derby against Arsenal up next, however, the forward has been passed fit and has the perfect opportunity to find the back of the net for the first time in the Premier League.

Speaking to reporters ahead of the Arsenal game, Frank revealed early team news which included an update on Kolo Muani’s unexpected return to action after suffering a jaw injury before the break.

If the PSG loanee continues his run without a goal, then many around North London will be asking big questions. Tottenham chiefs are already reportedly searching for a striker and the Frenchman’s struggles could accelerate their plan to welcome La Liga star Mikautadze in 2026.

Tottenham readying Mikautadze offer

According to reports in Spain, Tottenham are now preparing a €50m (£44m) offer to sign Mikautadze from Villarreal in 2026. A player who’s been compared to the great Diego Forlan by Spanish media, the 25-year-old has shown glimpses of his best form so far this season – scoring five goals in 14 games – and has entered Spurs’ radar as a result.

Tottenham's eye-watering 'initial offer' for Rodrygo after contacting Florentino Perez

Spurs reportedly mean business.

ByEmilio Galantini Nov 21, 2025

After becoming a transfer flop at Ajax, the Georgian striker reinvented himself at FC Metz, before starring at Lyon to earn a summer switch to Villarreal. Now, he could be about to make the biggest move of his career courtesy of Tottenham.

Dubbed “superb” by scout Jacek Kulig, Mikautadze has only kicked on since then to attract the interest of the Premier League. As Tottenham’s forwards continue to struggle, the 25-year-old should be seen as a serious option to consider next year.

Tottenham eyeing 'dream' move for striker likened to Diego Costa after Frank request

Walk-Off Wagers: MLB Best Bets Today (Bet on Chris Sale Prop, Twins to Win Third Straight)

Monday’s Major League Baseball action features just seven games, but that’s not going to stop us from placing some bets, right? 

It’s going to be tough to follow up Sunday’s masterclass, after the Minnesota Twins, Baltimore Orioles and New York Mets all came through with wins to complete the sweep in Sunday’s best bets and end the holiday weekend with a bang. 

Ironically, two of those teams are a part of Monday’s best bets, but we’re only running it back with one of them. 

Here are two moneyline players – and a sneaky player prop to consider – for Monday night. 

MLB Best Bets Today, Monday, July 8Pittsburgh Pirates Moneyline (-120) vs. New York MetsMinnesota Twins Moneyline (-185) vs. Chicago White SoxChris Sale OVER 6.5 Strikeouts (-155)Pittsburgh Pirates Moneyline (-120) vs. New York Mets

Pittsburgh Pirates starter Mitch Keller struggled in his last two outings, giving up 10 runs (eight earned) to push his ERA to 3.48 on the season. However, I still think he gives the Pirates the advantage in this one.

Pittsburgh is 11-6 straight up when Keller is on the mound, and he's allowed two or fewer runs in seven of his last 10 starts. 

Meanwhile, New York Mets starter Christian Scott comes into this game with a 4.32 ERA, and New York is just 1-5 in his six starts. 

Pittsburgh is in a prime spot to win the series finale tonight.

Minnesota Twins Moneyline (-185) vs. Chicago White Sox

When it comes to the Minnesota Twins-Chicago White Sox matchup on Monday, there is only one thing you need to know. 

Chris Flexen is on the mound for Chicago. 

So far in 2024, the White Sox are just when Flexen pitches, and his 5.08 ERA backs that stat up nicely. As for the Twins, they’ve been rolling as of late, taking seven of their last 10 games to move to 12 games over .500 on the season.

I’ll gladly fade Flexen – something that’s worth doing every time he pitches at this rate – on Monday. 

Chris Sale OVER 6.5 Strikeouts (-155)

What a resurgence Chris Sale has had during his time in Atlanta.

The seven-time All-Star has been lights out in 2024, posting a 2.71 ERA in 16 starts while striking out 127 batters in 99.2 innings of work. 

Sale has picked up at least seven strikeouts in 12 of his 16 starts in 2024, including 10 of his 11 starts since May 1.

His opponent on Monday – the Arizona Diamondbacks – doesn’t strike out a ton (7.88 per game), but Sale’s advanced numbers are too good for me to pass him up at this number.

The veteran lefty ranks in the 95th percentile in strikeout percentage, the 88th percentile in whiff percentage and the 96th percentile in chase rate. I expect him to stay hot on Monday night. 

Five rookies who could make a splash in CPL 2025

A left-arm quick, a six hitter who can bat in the top order, and a couple of mystery spinners are all part of our list

Deivarayan Muthu12-Aug-2025The 13th season of the CPL, which will kick off on August 14, will feature a number of T20 stars from the Caribbean as well as from other parts of the world. Here are five CPL rookies who could make a mark in the upcoming season.

Jediah Blades (Guyana Amazon Warriors)

Jediah Blades made his T20I debut recently•Randy Brooks/AFP via Getty ImagesHaving moved on from the likes of Sheldon Cottrell and Obed McCoy, West Indies are trialling Jediah Blades in the left-arm seamer’s role ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup. Even before he had played in the CPL, Blades, now 23, was fast-tracked into the West Indies side after impressing with the new ball for Guyana Rainforest Rangers in the inaugural West Indies breakout league, a tournament that was held earlier this year to identify emerging talent in the region.After conceding 40 runs in three overs on T20I debut against Australia, Blades bounced back in his second match, trapping Mitchell Marsh lbw with a sharp inswinger with the new ball before dismissing Mitchell Owen and Cooper Connolly with the older one. A good CPL season could potentially put Blades in T20 World Cup contention.

Kofi James (Barbados Royals)

Kofi James isn’t really a rookie – he is 27 and has played 12 CPL games so far – but hasn’t fulfilled his potential yet. Could this be James’ season?He showed attacking enterprise at the top for Leeward Islands Thunder in the breakout league, finishing on top of the runs charts (240 at a strike rate of nearly 158) and on top of the sixes chart with 16. With both Rahkeem Cornwall and Alick Athanaze moving out of Barbados Royals, James could be combined with Quinton de Kock and Brandon King in a new-look top order. James also bowls offspin and can be matched up against left-hand batters.

Usman Tariq (Trinbago Knight Riders)

Usman Tariq has played two seasons of PSL•PCBThe Knight Riders franchise has always been big on mystery spinners across leagues and for this CPL season, they have recruited Usman Tariq, who has had success with Quetta Gladiators in the PSL.Tariq, who is predominantly an offspinner, comes to a near-complete halt as he approaches his delivery stride before firing darts with a slinging, side-arm action. He often slings it in from wide of the crease, making it even more difficult for batters to pick him.The 27-year-old has played ten games in the PSL, taking 12 wickets at an economy rate of 7.64, and the upcoming CPL will be his first stint in a franchise T20 league outside Pakistan.

AM Ghazanfar (Antigua & Barbuda Falcons)

Afghanistan teenager AM Ghazanfar is another mystery spinner who is set for his maiden CPL stint. He impressed Mumbai Indians with his variations during a trial in the UAE and had them forking out INR 4.80 crore (US$ 570,000 approx.) for him during the IPL 2025 auction.Though Ghazanfar missed the IPL with injury, he reminded the world of his mystery in the T20 Blast for Derbyshire, where he took 16 wickets in 14 games at an economy rate of 7.05. It included a mesmerising spell of 4-2-5-2 against Yorkshire at Headingley. Ghazanfar could be just as deadly and unhittable on the spin-friendly surfaces in the Caribbean.However, he might miss the second half of the CPL if he gets picked in Afghanistan’s squad for the Asia Cup starting September 9 in the UAE.

Bevon Jacobs (Antigua & Barbuda Falcons)

Bevon Jacobs has a T20 strike rate of 147.31•BCCIBevon Jacobs is another emerging T20 star who is part of Mumbai Indians in the IPL and MI Emirates in the ILT20 in the UAE. He is now poised to make his CPL debut for Antigua & Barbuda Falcons along with Ghazanfar.At over six feet tall, the New Zealand power-hitter has the height and reach to mess with the lengths of bowlers. He has always been good against pace, and this CPL will be a test of his skills against spin on potentially slow surfaces.New Zealand currently have a settled middle order in T20Is, but success against spin in the Caribbean could prompt the team management to include him as a wildcard for next year’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.

John Schneider Rips Mariners Fans Who Booed After George Springer Injury

Blue Jays star outfielder George Springer exited Toronto's loss in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series after getting hit on his right kneecap by a 95-mph sinker from Mariners pitcher Bryan Woo. Springer, clearly in immense pain, laid on the ground for a few minutes as the Blue Jays trainer and manager John Schneider emerged from the dugout.

With Schneider and the trainer by his side, Springer limped his way up the first base line in an apparent attempt to remain in the game before ultimately exiting the contest, where he was helped down the dugout steps into the clubhouse. Springer was replaced at first base by pinch runner Joey Loperfido.

After the game, Schneider spoke to reporters and provided an update on Springer while also getting something off his chest. The Blue Jays manager took exception to what he believed to be an inappropriate reaction to the Springer injury by the crowd at T-Mobile Park.

"He's got a right knee contusion. He had X-rays, which were negative, which is a good thing," Schneider said. "George is about as tough as they come. I think he'll have to really, really be hurting to not be in the lineup on Sunday. So we'll see how he is.

"On that note, I know this is an awesome atmosphere to play in. And it's really, really cool to play here. And I think the fans that were booing him should take a look in the mirror and understand what kind of player he is. And—I'll stop there because when a guy gets hit in the knee and is in obvious pain and you have 40,000 people cheering, not the right thing to do."

Schneider is referring to the reactions to the crowd, in which there were some seeming boos when Springer slowly made his way up the first-base line.

One of the game's great postseason performers, Springer has continued his October excellence against the Mariners—he has seven hits, two home runs and four RBI in five ALCS games—to the chagrin of Seattle's fans, who have taken to booing him heavily during the three contests played at T-Mobile Park.

While most of the boos could be seen as a sign of respect for Springer's greatness, Schneider clearly felt that Mariners fans took it a step too far on Friday night.

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